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Meet LaShawnda K. Jackson, First Black President of the Orange County Bar Association

Leadership, Activism & Community Service She Models the Way for What Makes a Lawyer a Great Leader.Q: Why did you decide to attend law school? LJ: While attending Astronaut High School in Titusville, my American Government teacher, Sherry Johnson, told me to join her mock trial competition team because I had a big mouth and I liked to argue. I had no clue what mock trial was or what it would entail, but Mrs. Johnson was quite right, and I so much liked com..

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Progress & Experience with A Passion for Education. Meet Orange County Public Schools Superintendent, Dr. Barbara Jenkins

Dr. Barbara Jenkins has been dedicated to serving the needs of students for 30 years. She was named superintendent for Orange County Public Schools in 2012.Under Dr. Jenkins' leadership, the district won the prestigious 2014 Broad Prize for Urban Education. The prize earned half-a-million dollars for student scholarships from the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation. The district also received the Governor’s Sterling Award in 2014 and 2015 and the Sustained Exc..

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She Advocates for Public Education & Focuses on Hard Working Florida Families! A Conversation with Florida House of Representative Anna V. Eskamani

Q: After high school, where did you feel your career path would take you?  AE: I graduated from Orange County Public Schools K-12, and really was not sure where life would take me. I came from a working-class background and my parents were immigrants from Iran. In 2004 my Mom passed away after a long fight with cancer— I was one of her main caregivers, and knew I wanted to honor her life through the act of empowering others and one way to do that would be ..

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Read Our Exclusive Interview with Author, Entrepreneur & Community Activist, Joanie Holzer Schirm

Q: Let's turn the clock back … after high school graduation, can you tell us what type of career you wanted to pursue?JHS: Believing I was destined to play a significant role in uncovering the secrets of human history, growing up, my dream job was to become an archeologist. When I entered Florida State University, I assumed I’d more likely become an English or history teacher. By the time I left college, I wasn’t close to any of these endeavors. Little di..

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Dream, Believe & Achieve Meet Shellman & Company President, Avani Desai

Q: When you were 10, what did you want to be when you grew up?AD: I wanted to be a doctor. Q: After you graduated from the University of Florida, did you pursue the career path you thought you would? AD: Not. I never thought I would go into computer science and then somehow segue that in to working for an accounting firm. However, when I think back, everything that I considered exciting and attractive in a potential job – solving problems, data analysis,..

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An Exclusive Interview with Hall of Fame Golf Legend Annika Sorenstam

Annika is often regarded as the greatest female golfer of all-time.  During her 15-year, Hall-of-Fame career, she rewrote the LPGA and Ladies European Tour record books, won countless awards, and changed the way women’s golf was played, viewed and covered.  She amassed over 90 worldwide victories, including 72 on the LPGA and 10 Major Championships.  Annika holds a record number of Rolex Player of the Year awards (eight) and Vare Trophies for the lowest sc..

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Ursula Evans - Leading Women in the Adventure of Self-Discovery!

Author & Certified Life Coach for Women Around The World “Life isn’t about wait ing for the storm to pass, it’s about learning how to dance in the rain”Q: What made you want to write a book about self-love/care? UE: I had first-hand experience of being a doormat woman, a woman with no identity and a woman who didn't fully love herself. Through my own personal growth, my spiritual foundation and using coaching techniques I knew ..

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An Exclusive Interview with Jessica Cox, The World’s First Licensed Armless Pilot, & First Armless Black-Belt in The American Taekwondo Association

Jessica is best known for becoming the first armless pilot in aviation history. Her achievement earned her a Guinness World Record medal, invitations from six continents, and featured on TV programs like Ellen, Inside Edition, Fox and Friends, Oprah Winfrey Network, CNN, CBS Evening News, and the BBC. Described as a speaker “no one will ever forget,” she shows audiences around the globe how to inspire enthusiasm and build authentic confidence. With the goa..

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Emmy Award Winning Journalist & Best Selling Author, Leeza Gibbons, Shares Her Insights on Today’s Challenges For Caregivers & Maintaining a Positive Outlook.

Q: It's safe to say that you're best known for your TV work on Entertainment Tonight, Leeza, and 2015’s Celebrity Apprentice.  What thoughts come to mind about that body of work? LG: I'm a lucky girl. I have had a career that has been challenging, fulfilling, and fun! I studied broadcast journalism and have been on a path of wherever the stories took me ever since.  After reporting in TV and radio news, I became an entertainment correspondent and anchor be..

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Meet Bobby Govanus, Founder of Reinvention Retreat & Bestselling Author, A True Visionary Leader Who Connects Entrepreneurs to Their Pasion & Success in Life!

Q: Prior to starting your own company … can you share with us a little about your career in retail?BG: I began in retail at age 16 and took on increased responsibility and different roles. I was eventually a Buyer for women’s clothing, Merchandise Manager and store manager with my biggest store doing $17 Million annually. I loved my years in retail because it is a people business and creating relationships that build sales and training people to do the s..

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Hailed as the “Female Jerry Maguire,” Molly Fletcher Joins Us To Talk About Her Career as a Sports Agent & Motivational Professional

Q: You acknowledge that you’re a trailblazer. For women entering the sports agent field, do you feel that there are any fewer hurdles to overcome than when you started? If so, what are they?MF: I would say there are fewer hurdles, but they still exist. Visibility matters and I think seeing other women thrive in the space has opened the doors for others and broken down some of the barriers. Overall, I think people are starting to understand the business va..

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Making Her Second Chance of Life Count, An Exclusive Interview With Motivational Speaker, Mercedes Ramirez Johnson

In 1995, Mercedes Ramirez Johnson narrowly survived a commercial airplane crash where about 160 people died, including her parents. As one of only four survivors of this tragedy, she vowed that she would make her second chance at life count... and that she has – not just for herself, but also for the tens of thousands of people who have heard her story and her message.Mercedes has received national awards for her work, influence, commitment to helping othe..

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Egypt Sherrod, Starring as Co-Host Alongside Her Husband in The New HGTV Series "Married to Real Estate"

Q: Was real estate a pathway to design for you or the other way around? ES: I was a real estate broker first and organically began to evolve into the design space. It started with architecture, then focusing on floor plan layout and functionality, now I love all things design. There is something so amazing about turning a plain-Jane room into a curated work of art. Q: Whose room was the first you were asked to decorate? ES: My first design projects were a..

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Tania Luna, She Has Built Multiple Companies, Including LifeLabs Learning, a Leadership Development Resource That Serves Thousands of the World’s Most Influential Companies

TANIA LUNA is an entrepreneur, psychology researcher, and author of LEAD TOGETHER: Stop Squirreling Away Power and Build a Better Team. She has founded and grown multiple companies, including Scarlet Spark, a nonprofit that creates human-friendly workplaces for organizations that help animals; LifeLabs Learning, one of the world’s fastest-growing leadership development companies; eLab, an accelerator for edtech entrepreneurs; and Surprise Industries, an or..

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She Has Overcome the Worst Adversities, Including Abuse, Homelessness, Abduction, Disfigurement, & Human Trafficking by Terrorism. Meet Entrepreneur & Philanthropist, Liza Pavlakos

Q: Do you regularly relive or re-experience these traumatic events? LP: Yes, unfortunately, anyone who has suffered trauma relives these events, and I’m no different. My early life transition into young adulthood was so traumatic that I was diagnosed with complex PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). It’s so sad to realize that this is all due to other people’s violence against me. Repressed memories surface, and their impact is so debilitating in your ..

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Dr. Amy Young, The First Woman to Become Executive Director of The American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Q: Growing up, when were you first intrigued by the health sciences?AY: I think we all have role models that influence us in our life choices. I was lucky enough to have a female pediatrician in the mid-60s in Mississippi which was quite rare. My mother revered her (she took care of my 6 siblings). My parents had lost one of those siblings to leukemia, so they were well versed in health care and were respectful of the profession. My mother influenced my ch..

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